In geography, a cushion zone or buffer zone is a zone area that serves the purpose of keeping two or more areas (often, but not necessarily, countries) at a distance from each other, for whatever reason. The most common types of buffer zones are demilitarized zones and some restrictive comfort zones and green belts. Such zones may be, but are not necessarily, composed of a sovereign state, forming a buffer state.

Buffer zones may be created to prevent violence, protect the environment, protect residential and commercial areas from industrial accidents or natural disasters, holding prisoners with the intention of escaping by quickly acquiring hostages or a hiding place, or possibly for other reasons.

Buffer zones often result in large uninhabited regions (similar to nature reserves, although without tourism) which in themselves are notable in many increasingly paved/busier developed parts of the world.